Tipsy Tuesday #2:

Be intentional about taking the time to greet all your guests at your wedding.  Whether this be a receiving line or making it around the room during the reception, find the time to say hi to all your guests. All of those people are there because you have asked them to be and they obviously matter to you so you should treat them accordingly and show them your appreciation for the role they have played in supporting your life and future.

Cheers,

Robin & the Champagne team

This coming Sunday, February 27th, we will be at Portland Bride & Groom Magazine and Bridgeport Village‘s Very Engaging Bridal Event! For more details visit Bridgeport Village’s website! We will be in Saks Fifth Avenue off Fifth!

At the beginning of February, we were asked to put together a window display promoting the event! Annelie of Anne Adams Photography stopped by the window and took a few pictures for us! Take a peak below and if you get a chance, stop by Bridgeport Village to see the display! It’ll be up til next Tuesday!

Photos by Anne Adams Photography

Design and Coordination: Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination
Paper flowers and signage: Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination
Tables, lamps, glassware, table settings: Crate & Barrel
Wedding Dress: Anna’s Bridal
Candy: Sweet Factory

We look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Cheers,

Mandi, Rachelle & the Champagne team

P.S. Just a few more days to vote for Oregon Bride Magazine’s “Best Of” issue. Make sure to go vote for your favorite wedding vendors!! We appreciate you all helping us win “Best New Wedding Vendor” last year! We’d love to win best planner this year- one can dream! : )

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information about our first Ask the Experts event on Sunday, March 13th!

With wedding season among us, many brides for 2010 have done most of their planning, but may be trying to decide whether hiring a month of coordinator would be worth it. Being wedding planners, we, of course would say, “YES! Don’t hesitate! Hire a professional wedding coordinator to ensure your wedding plans are taken care of the day of so you, your friends and family can relax and enjoy!” Make sure to find the right personality match to work with you on your wedding day! Here’s an article that we posted a few months ago about the different types of coordinators that’ll be a part of your wedding day to help you decide if hiring a Month of [Day of] coordinator is right for you! Enjoy and if you have any questions- please don’t hesitate to ask!

With the title “coordinator” used so often in the wedding and event industry, it’s no surprise that the duties of these different people can get a bit confusing. We were talking about this recently with other vendors, and it is clear that people have a lot of questions about the different types of coordinators that might work with them on their wedding day. We’ll unravel these different terms for you!

Catering Coordinator: This person works for your catering company or as a manager at a venue that offers catering.
Your catering coordinator will make sure:
      o your menu selections have been made
      o plans for your bar and beverages has been arranged
      o receive and maintain your payments for the catering
Many catering companies offer rental items such as dinnerware, linens, and glassware. Your catering coordinator may assist you in selecting those items. On the day of your wedding, the catering coordinator manages the timeline for food preparation and food service. The catering coordinator will also oversee the serving staff.

Venue Coordinator: This person is employed by the venue, and knows the inner-workings of the space. Your venue coordinator will most often do a walk-through with you and point out typical layouts for your floor plan.
Your venue coordinator will know answers to questions, such as:
      o “what time can our vendors start setting up?”
      o “Where are the power outlets in the building?”
      o “How many chairs and tables do you have, and do you provide linens?”
      o “Am I allowed to use candles?”
      o “Where can vendors park for loading and unloading?”
      o “When is our final payment due?”
Some venue coordinators are on-site during your wedding day for part of all of the day. Make sure you ask them what their role with be on the day of.

Church Coordinator: If you are marrying in a church, you might have a church coordinator.
Your church coordinator will:
      o schedule your rehearsal time
      o advise you on etiquette of that specific church as well as its rules
      o run your rehearsal (for example, tell you how you should line up/walk into the church)
      o refer cantors or musicians through the parish
      o your church coordinator will be there on your wedding day to guide you down the aisle

Wedding Coordinator: A wedding coordinator/consultant/planner is one and the same.  A wedding coordinator differs from the afore mentioned coordinators because he/she is hired directly by the bride/groom/family which means their first and foremost job description is to provide to you the services that you need to make your wedding planning experience enjoyable. He/she can not only answer questions about your venue, rentals, catering, and church customs, but can also aid you with subjects such as design, budgeting, vendor selection, timelines, and etiquette. A perk is that most wedding coordinators receive discounts with vendors that get passed on to the client as a savings, rather than marking them up and costing the client more money. This comes from the experience that a professional wedding coordinator has, as well as the extensive research and networking that he/she maintains on a regular basis to continue to learn about the vendors that are available to their clients.
Most wedding coordinators offer day-of coordination in their list of services. When hiring a Day-of Coordinator they manage the details of your wedding day for you.
This includes, but not limited to:
      o preparing a timeline and ceremony processional/recessional sheet
      o organizing day of information details
      o communicating details between all vendors making sure they are on the same page
      o running the rehearsal or assist officiant and church coordinator
      o set up and clean up
      o trouble-shooting any and all situations throughout the day
Many day-of coordinators offer packages that include meetings to prepare for the wedding day and more.

If you have a coordinator at your venue, church or catering company that uses the title wedding planner/ wedding coordinator/ wedding consultant please inquire about all of the different things that they plan to do for you on your wedding day, as well as throughout your planning timeframe, so you are not left disappointed on your wedding day. We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Every company is different, so some coordinators may vary from the above description.

Happy planning!

Cheers,
Mandi, Rachelle and the Champagne team

Local event:
Eco-friendly wedding event! Portland:
Monday, June 28
6:00- 8:00 pm
New Beginning Salon Spa
503-645-2950
http://www.nbsalonspa.com

You’ve heard us say their names, but they have yet to be introduced! Danielle and Amanda are two of our wonderful lead wedding and event planners! All four of us sleep, dream, live wedding and event planning thoughts! I can’t remember the last time I went somewhere and I didn’t think about whether or not it had event space potential! haha! With wedding season in full swing, we wanted to help you get to know Danielle and Amanda a little better! Enjoy…

Meet Danielle:

Dayna Schroeder Photography

How did you decide you wanted to get into wedding & event planning?
Danielle: I decided to get into wedding and event planning at a very young age, if my friends Barbie and Ken doll wanted to get married, I was the one they would bring them to. I would beg my mom to buy me wedding magazines even before I could read! Wedding planning has always been my dream job and I am so blessed to be doing it!

What do you love about weddings?
Danielle: What I love about weddings is the magic that fills the venue and the groom’s eyes when the bride walks down the aisle, seeing a couple’s vision turn into the wedding of their dreams. I love every planning moment from a blank piece of paper with a bride spilling her ideas to the moment when the last guest has left…and of course cake : )

How would you describe your dream wedding?
Danielle: My dream wedding would be a winter wedding in Banff on Lake Louise with sleigh rides and a hot cocoa bar.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Danielle: In my free time I like to read, kayak, do yoga, and try new restaurants with my boyfriend.

Fun tidbit:
Danielle: I only eat Kraft mac and cheese if the noodles are shaped like characters.

Meet Amanda:

Dayna Schroeder Photography

How did you decide you wanted to get into wedding & event planning?
Amanda: After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, I got a job working for couture bridal designer, Monique Lhuillier in Los Angeles. Hearing the brides talk about their engagement and planning the details, I became infatuated with weddings! To me, it’s not a job, I look at it as hobby. I have so much passion about each wedding or event I am involved in.

What do you love about weddings?
Amanda: What’s not to love about weddings!! I would say the number one thing I love the most is the first step the bride takes down the aisle. It’s the big moment we both have worked so hard towards for the last several months.

How would you describe your dream wedding?
Amanda: My prince charming hasn’t road in on his white horse yet : ) but when he does my dream wedding would be candlelit at this beautiful church in Bel Air, CA. It’s on top of a hill that over looks all of Los Angeles and is absolutely breathtaking. For the reception, I would love to have it in a indoor/outdoor venue in Santa Monica or Malibu. Photos on the beach are always amazing and so peaceful.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Amanda: I love staying active by hiking or going to a pilates class as well as spending time with my family.

Share a unique/fun fact or two about yourself:
Amanda: I have my own jewelry line that I hand make, Simply Jo Designs and I have an obsession with Christian Louboutin shoes.

You’ll love working with Danielle, Amanda and the rest of our staff! We are so excited for wedding season to be in full swing and to be a part of your special day!!

Cheers,

Mandi, Rachelle and the Champagne team

The best things in life are free? I think it’s most definitely true! That is why we offer a no obligation, complimentary initial consultation where you are able to get to know us and tell us more about your wedding plans, as well as learn if hiring a wedding planner is right for you! We offer packages from day of to full service planning! Planning your wedding day should be as fun and enjoyable as you always imagined it! [We also have special packages for the bride who is planning from a far or the destination bride] We look forward to hearing from you!

Today we have a guest blog by one of our lead coordinators, Danielle! We love finding ways to double place cards as favors! She found a few unique favor/place card ideas and tried one of her own! Below you’ll find her inspiration board and one way that she chose to use the inspiration board to create one of her own!
Enjoy!

With spring here, many of us are decorating our backyard or patio with spring flowers. While browsing the internet I found this idea for a place card holder and decided to make a few of my own and share them with you! It was a fun thing and easy thing to do. Not only do they make a fun place card holder, but it doubles as a wedding favor. Depending on how many guest you are inviting, have a planting party and invite friends and family over, and even kids to help you with them!

Inspiration:

Images courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Danielle’s idea: Flower pot place card holder [Doubles as a favor that you’re guests will love!]

What you need:

Pot: 48 cents on sale at craft store (2.25 in.)
Soil: Free- use extra from the left over soil from the flowers
Flower/moss: $1-2
Paper: Free, scrap paper
Stick: Free from your back yard!
Time: a couple minutes per pot
Total 1.48-2.48 depending on flower or moss

How to make them:
• To make the place card pots I took off the excess soil from the roots and placed it in the pot.
• Once it was in the pot I trimmed the plant so it would better fit.
• I taped the actual name card to the twig but glue would work just as well and stuck the twig into the plant.
• Easy as that you have a super cute and fun place card holder for your wedding!

Tips and tricks:
• Flowers with multiple blossoms can be broken up into 3 pots, if broken up to much it will disturb the root system and possibly kill the plant.
• Water the plants a few days before the wedding so the excess water will drain before its set on your nice table cloth
• Look for sales on flowers at local stores

Other fun ideas:
• Write on paper with seeds in it
• You can find an abundance of moss in your backyard
• Add fun rocks to decorate the soil
• Use some ribbon to dress up the pot.
• Paint the pot
• If you are not a flower persons succulents make a great alternative [use a more rocky soil]
• If you are not a green thumb fake flowers work as well

Check back soon for more great ideas!

Cheers,

Mandi, Rachelle & the Champagne team

Upcoming Events:
Join us at the Perfect Wedding Guide’s Spring Boutique Bridal Show on March 20th, 2010 from 12-4pm and be entered to win a wedding dress from AniA Collection and a pair of 1 carat diamond earrings from Joseph K… Not to mention many more giveaways every half hour! It’s a show you won’t want to miss!

Contests:
Log on to 105.1 The Buzz Contest page to enter to win a Month of Package from Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination. [Not valid on previously purchased packages; Enter by March 20th, 2010]